Compact sample analysis systems and related methods of using combined chromatography and mobility spectrometry techniques

Abstract

The invention relates generally to ion mobility based systems, methods and devices for analyzing samples and, more particularly, in some embodiments to compact GC-DMS systems and methods, and techniques for correcting nonlinear characteristics in an ion mobility based analyzer.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A compact integrated ion mobility based analysis system comprising,
 at least one gas chromatograph (GC) column for receiving a sample and for eluting constituents of the sample, wherein the GC column includes a carrier gas consisting substantially of air, and wherein each of the eluted constituents are temporally separated from each other, and 
 at least one ion mobility based sample analyzer for analyzing the eluted constituents based on ion mobility characteristics of the eluted constituents and employing a drift gas consisting substantially of air. 
 
     
     
       2. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one ion mobility based sample analyzer includes an array of ion mobility based sample analyzers. 
     
     
       3. The system of  claim 2 , wherein the at least one GC column is a single GC column that provides the eluted constituents to each of the array of ion mobility based analyzers. 
     
     
       4. The system of  claim 2 , wherein at least two of the array of ion mobility based sample analyzers operate in parallel with each other. 
     
     
       5. The system of  claim 2 , wherein at least two of the array of ion mobility based sample analyzers operate in series with each other. 
     
     
       6. The system of  claim 2 , wherein first and second ion mobility based sample analyzers of the array of ion mobility based sample analyzers have first and second flow channels, respectively. 
     
     
       7. The system of  claim 6 , wherein the first and second flow channels share a common ion filter. 
     
     
       8. The system of  claim 6 , wherein the first and second flow channels are isolated from each other. 
     
     
       9. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one GC column is formed as a capillary column in a substrate. 
     
     
       10. The system of  claim 9 , wherein the substrate is a silicon substrate. 
     
     
       11. The system of  claim 9 , wherein the substrate is a polymer-based substrate. 
     
     
       12. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the ion mobility based sample analyzer provides a plurality of scans for a single elution peak of the GC column. 
     
     
       13. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one ion mobility based sample analyzer is sized and shaped to perform a single measurement of at least a portion of one of the eluted constituents at a particular field condition in less than about 100 ms. 
     
     
       14. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one ion mobility based sample analyzer is sized and shaped to perform a single measurement of at least a portion of one of the eluted constituents at a particular field condition in less than about 75 ms. 
     
     
       15. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one ion mobility based sample analyzer is sized and shaped to perform a single measurement of at least a portion of one of the eluted constituents at a particular field condition in less than about 50 ms. 
     
     
       16. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one ion mobility based sample analyzer is sized and shaped to perform a single measurement of at least a portion of one of the eluted constituents at a particular field condition in less than about 25 ms. 
     
     
       17. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one ion mobility based sample analyzer is sized and shaped to perform a single measurement of at least a portion of one of the eluted constituents at a particular field condition in less than about 10 ms. 
     
     
       18. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one ion mobility based sample analyzer is sized and shaped to perform a single measurement of at least a portion of one of the eluted constituents at a particular field condition in less than about 5 ms. 
     
     
       19. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one ion mobility based sample analyzer is sized and shaped to perform a single measurement of at least a portion of one of the eluted constituents at a particular field condition in less than about 2 ms. 
     
     
       20. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one ion mobility based sample analyzer is sized and shaped to perform a single measurement of at least a portion of one of the eluted constituents at a particular field condition in less than about 1 ms. 
     
     
       21. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one ion mobility based sample analyzer is sized and shaped to perform a single measurement of at least a portion of one of the eluted constituents at a particular field condition in less than about 100 ms. 
     
     
       22. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one GC and the at least one ion mobility based sample analyzer are formed at least in part on a common substrate. 
     
     
       23. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one GC column is formed as a capillary column on a single substrate including a curved portion. 
     
     
       24. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one GC column is formed as a capillary column on a single substrate including a spiral portion. 
     
     
       25. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one GC column is formed as a capillary column on a single substrate including a spiral counter/counter spiral portion. 
     
     
       26. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one GC column is formed as a capillary column on a single substrate and less than about 3 meters long. 
     
     
       27. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one ion mobility based sample analyzers is formed at an intermediate location along a length of the at least one GC column between first and second terminal ends of the at least one GC column. 
     
     
       28. The system of  claim 1  including at least one heater for heating the GC column. 
     
     
       29. The system of  claim 28  including at least one air gap between the least one ion mobility based sample analyzer and the at least one GC column. 
     
     
       30. The system of  claim 1  including one or more cutouts for providing thermal separation between the at least one GC column and the at least one ion mobility based sample analyzer. 
     
     
       31. The system of  claim 1  including a plurality of substrates onto which the at least one GC column and the at least one ion mobility based sample analyzer are formed. 
     
     
       32. The system of  claim 31 , wherein first and second ones of the plurality of substrates are vertically stacked relative to each other. 
     
     
       33. The system of  claim 32 , wherein a first of the at least one ion based sample analyzer is located on the first substrate and a second of the at least one ion based sample analyzer is located on the second substrate. 
     
     
       34. The system of  claim 33 , wherein in first and second of the plurality of substrates are horizontally adjacent to each other. 
     
     
       35. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one ion mobility based sample analyzer includes a differential mobility spectrometer (DMS). 
     
     
       36. The system of  claim 35 , wherein the at least one ion mobility based analyzer includes an ion mobility spectrometer (IMS). 
     
     
       37. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one ion mobility based analyzer includes an ion mobility spectrometer (IMS). 
     
     
       38. The system of  claim 1  including an inlet for a make up effluent for increasing a flow rate of the eluded constituent from the at least one GC column to a level suitable for the at least one ion mobility based sample analyzer. 
     
     
       39. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one GC column is located on a different substrate from that of the at least one ion mobility based sample analyzer. 
     
     
       40. A compact integrated ion mobility based analysis system comprising,
 an integrated circuit formed in a single package including,
 at least one gas chromatograph (GC) column for receiving a sample and for eluting constituents of the sample, each of the eluted constituents being temporally separated from each other, and 
 at least one ion mobility based sample analyzer for analyzing the eluted constituents based on ion mobility characteristics of the eluted constituents. 
 
 
     
     
       41. A method for analyzing a sample comprising,
 flowing the sample through a GC capillary column with a carrier gas consisting substantially of air to temporally separate constituents of the sample, 
 flowing the temporally separated constituents through a filter region of an ion mobility based sample analyzer with a drift gas consisting substantially of air, and 
 analyzing the sample the sample, based at least in part, on information from the ion mobility based sample analyzer. 
 
     
     
       42. A method of correcting detection data for an ion mobility based analyzer comprising,
 introducing a known sample concentration having a predictable time-dependent concentration distribution profile into the analyzer, 
 measuring the concentration for the known sample in the analyzer and generating a measured time-dependent concentration distribution profile for the known sample, 
 processing the measured and predictable time-dependent concentration distribution profiles to determine a response correction function for the analyzer, and 
 employing the response correction function for the analyzer to correct subsequent detection data from analyzer. 
 
     
     
       43. The method of  claim 42  comprising, inverting the response correction function prior to employing it to correct the subsequent detection data from the analyzer. 
     
     
       44. The method of  claim 42  comprising,
 deriving parameters that define the measured time-dependent concentration distribution profile, and 
 employing the parameters to determine the response correction function for the analyzer. 
 
     
     
       45. The method of  claim 44 , wherein employing the parameters includes processing the parameters in a generic response correction function to determine the response correction function for the analyzer. 
     
     
       46. The method of  claim 45  comprising, determining the generic response function by experimentation. 
     
     
       47. The method of  claim 45  comprising, employing thermodynamic equilibrium equations as the generic response function. 
     
     
       48. The method of  claim 42 , wherein the predictable time-dependent concentration distribution profile is a Gaussian profile. 
     
     
       49. The method of  claim 42 , wherein measuring the concentration for the known sample comprises measuring ion intensity for the known sample. 
     
     
       50. The method of  claim 42  comprising compensating for gas chromatographic tailing in the response correction function for the analyzer.